His breathing was labored, but my heart stopped.

The Significant Other and I have been together going on nine years now. We have gone from two apartments through three houses, as many cars, countless foster dogs, and even a business, but if we were to split up, the one thing that I know we would fight over more than anything is the custody of a 14-year-old Brittany. Granted, Snuffy is technically her dog as he came to the relationship with her. He is, however, my lil’ buddy.

He and I didn’t always get along so famously. The first months that I knew him were punctuated by barking fits when I came in, growling, and even an all-out melee over a plateful of chili fries. We have built on this shaky start and since those early beginnings have become best buds.

As is almost always the sad case, he has outpaced us, going from being a fairly young and energetic dog to a senior citizen of the canine kind. Lately, he has had trouble breathing, with lots of coughing and wheezing. A visit to the vet last week showed some serious issues, but even those health concerns paled compared to the fright we had with him Saturday night.

After Saturday night’s dinner, as I was emptying the dishwasher, I heard an odd sound. Suddenly I realized what it was. I raced out to the back porch and found Snuffers gasping for air. His poor sides pumped as he struggled to get air. My poor pup could hardly breathe. His eyes were wide and pupils dilated. We took him to the shade and tried to calm him down. He continued to gasp. My heart was in my throat as I watched, unable to help my poor pup.

We called the local ER vet, whose name I will not even bother to write here, and we were told they were busy and we needed to do something else.

Luckily, we were able to get in at VCA of Central Kitsap. By the time we got there, he had calmed down and was once more breathing almost normally.

He was taken to the back and several checks and tests were done and medications administered. He is doing ok and actually breathing better today than he has in months. The thought of losing our boy, our little Snufferbear, was heart-breaking. It was a scare, nothing more, but it reminds us of how quickly our time with our dogs goes by.

Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog. – Sydney Jeanne Seward